Impatiens plant named Antares

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Impatiens plant named Antares, having deep lilac flower color, compact growth habit, dense self-branching, slightly variegated leaves, early flowering, floriferous habit, and the ability to withstand both high and low temperatures.

The present invention relates to a new and distinctive cultivar ofImpatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens, and known by thecultivar name Antares. Antares was developed by me through controlledbreeding by crossing Mikkelsen Seedling No. 85-195-1 (seed parent) withMikkelsen Seedling No. 85-941-3 (pollen parent). Asexual reproduction byterminal or stem cuttings has shown that the unique features of this newimpatiens are stabilized and are reproduced true to type in successivepropagations.

The following characteristics distinguish the new impatiens from bothits parent varieties and other cultivated impatiens of this type knownand used in the floriculture industry. Certain characteristics are moremeaningful by reference to known cultivars. The comparison cultivarsreferred to are Telstar, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,733; Comet, U.S. PlantPat. No. 5,920; Corona, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,184; and Sunregal, U.S.Plant Pat. No. 6,389.

1. Antares has deep lilac flowers that are darker in color than Telstar,Comet, and Corona, and similar in color to the deeper lilac in thebicolor flower of Sunregal.

2. Flower size of Antares is similar to Corona and Telstar, and slightlysmaller than Comet and Sunregal.

3. Antares has a compact growth habit similar to Sunregal and Comet, butAntares is more densely self-branched. Both Corona and Telstar are moreupright growing cultivars.

4. Antares has a bright green leaf, while Corona has dark green leavesand Comet, Telstar and Sunregal have red-green leaves, with the leavesof Sunregal being the darkest.

5. The midrib of the Antares leaf has only a trace of red tint, whileCorona, Telstar, Comet and Sunregal have a red midrib, with the red evencarrying into the venation.

6. Stems of new growth of Antares show only a small amount of redcoloration, while the stems of the other four cultivars show heavy redcoloration.

7. Internode length on Antares is much more compact than the other fourcultivars thus helping to produce the compact dense growth habit.

8. The leaves of Antares are smaller than Comet and larger thanSunregal. The leaves of Corona and Telstar are similar in size butbroader.

9. Spurs on flowers of Antares are similar in reddish color to Sunregaland Comet, with Corona being darker and Telstar lighter in color.

10. Flower peduncles of Antares and Sunregal have only a red tint, whileComet, Telstar and Corona all have much deeper red coloration.

11. Young flower buds are green in color, while four comparisoncultivars have reddish flower buds.

12. The leaves of Antares have only a trace of cream variegation, whichis similar to Corona; Telstar and Comet are more heavily variegated; andSunregal has no variegation whatsoever.

13. Ciliate on leaves are yellowish green (cream) while the ciliate ofthe four comparison cultivars are red tinged.

14. Flowering is early like Comet and Sunregal, being 7 to 10 daysearlier than Corona and Telstar.

15. Antares is able to withstand both high temperature and sunlight, andlow temperatures (40° to 50° F.), thus extending the growing season.

16. The highly floriferous nature of Antares makes it good for 10 and 15cm pots, and 25 cm hanging baskets.

The accompanying colored photograph is a top perspective view showingthe overall appearance of Antares, with colors being as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in a colored reproduction of this type.The photograph was taken in late June, 1988 of a plant grown in agreenhouse.

The following is a detailed description of Antares based on plantsproduced under commercial practices in Ashtabula, Ohio under bothgreenhouse and outdoor growing conditions. Color references are made tothe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general termsof ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Parentage: A controlled cross between Mikkelsen Seedling No. 85-195-1and Mikkelsen Seedling No. 85-941-3.

Propagation:

Type cutting.--Stem tip 15 mm long will develop to 4 to 5 cm long in 18to 21 days.

Time to root.--8 to 10 days at 23° C. summer, and 10 to 12 days at 20°C. winter.

Rooting habit.--Heavy, fibrous.

Plant description:

Form.--Symmetrically mounded, compact, self-branching flowering herb.

Habit of growth.--Compact, vigorous, heavy, self-branching, withflowering over the top of the foliage. Once flowering starts, it iscontinuous.

Foliage.--Bright green leaves with green venation. Under high lightconditions mature foliage has an area of cream variegation around themidrib expanding two-thirds of the way up the leaf. Under low light,immature leaves will be solid green with a cream midrib. (1) Size: 7 to9 cm in length at maturity, and 2 to 3 cm wide. Environment can affectthe size of the leaf. (2) Shape: Lanceolate with acute base and apex.(3) Texture: Upper surface slightly hirsute and lower glabrous. (4)Margin: Entire and finely ciliated. (5) Color: Young foliage, top side:137A. Under side: 137D. Mature foliage, top side: 147A. Under side:137C. (6) Venation: pinnate, green in color.

Flowering description:

Flowering habits.--Flowers continuously from leaf whorl in progressivelyorderly manner with either 1 or 2 flowers per leaf and in about equalnumbers. Whorl above starts to open about the time the first flowers inthe whorl below have finished flowering. The second flowers in the lowerleaf whorl open as the first flowers in the upper whorl are opening inthe axils. It takes 5 to 7 days from bud to bloom and flowers last twoweeks or longer.

Natural flowering season.--Indeterminant and continuous. Quantity offlowering increases with increasing levels of light.

Flower buds.--Ellipsoidal, flowers perfect. Light red spur up to 4.0 cmlong on mature buds with throat behind ovary and originating from themain sepal.

Flowers borne.--On individual pedicels with purplish cast from whorls of4 to 5 leaves, flowering progressively around the whorl as buds develop.Approximately 50% of leaf axils have two flowers with the remaininghaving one flower.

Quantity of flowers.--Very floriferous due to its highly self-branchedhabit and its leaf axils having up to two flowers. Flower development iscontinuous once flowering begins.

Petals.--(1) Shape: Heart shaped with top petal the largest. (2) Color:Top side in summer when opening, between 72C and 77B fading to slightlylighter than 77B; under side 77C. (3) Number of petals: Five (5) innumber. (4) Size of flowers: 4.0 to 4.5 cm in diameter.

Reproductive organs.--(1) Stamens: Five (5) in number. (a) Anther shape:Hooded, color cream with reddish purple tinge. (b) Pollen color: Cream.(2) Pistils: (a) Stigma shape: Five (5) in number, segmented, columnshaped; color, cream with reddish tint. (b) Style color: Cream. (c)Ovaries: Five (5) in number, size 5 mm, color, green.

Disease resistance: No significant disease or insect problems noted todate.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Impatiens plant namedAntares, as illustrated and described.